Tea: is it good or bad for you?

Drinking more than four cups of tea a day can increase women’s risk of
developing rheumatoid arthritis, research has found. However, some studies
claim the hot drink is good for you. So, what are some of the health
benefits and detriments of consuming tea?

Opinions are divided on the benefits and detriments of consuming teaPhoto: ALAMY

7:30AM BST 18 Jun 2010

Researchers have claimed that drinking tea can reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 25 per cent if three or four cups are consumed a day.

It is thought that antioxidants and magnesium compounds help to keep weight down.

Drinking one cup of tea a day could also help to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, studies have suggested.

Women who drink a single cup every day are 10 per cent less likely to develop the disease than those who never drink tea, research last year found.

Green tea is considered to have the most health benefits of any type of tea.

Studies have found that it is a preventive for heart disease and cancer, an acne cure and even a mouthwash. It is also thought to protect us from glaucoma and other eye diseases.

The tea, full of antioxidants, can also help you lose weight, experts claim.

However, because green tea naturally contains a small amount of caffeine, it is unsuitable for people with caffeine sensitivity, and should not be drunk in large quantities by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Black tea is also thought to have similar negative elements. Mainly, the caffeine in it is believed to contribute to the stiffening of arteries.

However, the amount of caffeine is small and makes tea a healthier alternative to coffee.

Some health experts claim that the benefits of tea are overrated. They point out that a better way to hydrate your skin is to drink water.

Water is also thought to be better than tea for the health of your gut.

Despite the pros and cons of drinking tea, depending on which studies you choose to believe, perhaps the best reason for drinking it was discovered last year.

Scientists found that putting the kettle on can reduce stress levels by up to a quarter.

The experiment, which placed volunteers in a stressful scenario, showed a 25 per cent increase in anxiety for those that did not receive tea immediately after the stress-inducing test.

Conversely, those who were given tea actually demonstrated a four per cent reduction in stress.